Process for making blanks



Jan. 6, 1942. c. T.- DICKEY 2,268,703

PROCESS FOR MAKING BLANKS Filed Dec. 5, 1939 I Patented Jan. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR MAKING BLANKS Charles Thomas Dickey, Elizabeth, N. J.

Application December 5, 1939, Serial No. 307,611

9 Claims.

This invention relates to process for making blanks having peripheral frictional properties applicable to, and used for, engaging a travelling fabric surface.

As is well-known to those working in textile operations, fabric-engaging rolls heretofore employed, such as those used in loom temples, are prone to quickly wear and become smooth due to constant tension and friction. As they become smooth, they progressively lose their efficiency for gripping fabric surfaces and must be often replaced, these frequent replacements being both time-consuming and costly.

It is one object of this invention to describe the method of manufacture of a roughly cylindrical and satisfactory blank containing therein immovably fixed plurality of fiber ends outwardly projecting or outwardly protruding therefrom.

Another object is to produce a cloth-engaging blank which retains its effective initial gripping surface substantially unimpaired for an indefinite time.

It is a further object to disclose a process for making such blanks which is simple, economical and expeditious, and wherein the initially satisfactory degree of frictional contact with textile surface is not materially diminished by continued usage over a long period.

Other objects will appear from the description and accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing and illustrative examples herein shown and described, the process of my inventlon as applied to a specific product-a temple roll-is as follows:

. Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section showing a device adapted for the impregnation of blank material.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section of a portion of a punch adapted to form one of the blank units of my process.

Figure 3 is a face view of a unit employed in my process.

Figure 4 is a side view of the device of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section of a plurality of blank units positioned upon a supporting rod or mandrel.

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section of the device of Figure 5 positioned within a molding press.

Figure 7 is a section through the line 1-1 of Figure 6 with the two elements of the molding press spaced from each other.

Figure 8 is the Figure 7 with the two elements of the molding press in molding position.

Figure 9 shows one method of the roughening or abrading process applied to the molded form of my device.

This drawing of one form of my invention is adapted to be used in connection with the usual type of temple, wherein two rolls are rotatively mounted. The temples are arranged in pairs, one at each side of the loom, and may be termed right-handed and left-handed since their function is to laterally stretch the cloth being woven to the right and left side of the loom.

The following is one process for producing the rolls of my invention, although it is evident that other steps of process may be employed Without going beyond the scope of my invention, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and is described in some detail in order that the production of my devices may be clearly understood.

I take fabric, preferably strong fabric such as cotton duck, drill, or canvas, and saturate or impregnate the same with a suitable medium which is solid at normal room temperatures, such as a natural or synthetic resin or resin-like composition, or compound containing the same or its equivalent, preferably of a thermoplastic body or a body made thermoplastic by addition thereto.

The thermoplastic body or resin or resin-like material may be applied to the fabric in the heated state if the viscosity, wetting power, and other characteristics are suitable, or may be applied in solution or suspension form using an appropriate solvent, solvent composition, or thermoplasticizing component, .volatile solvent being afterwards removed, as by evaporation.

Or the fabric may be coated on on or both sides, or may be thoroughly impregnated or saturated at room or elevated temperature, as by a dipping process. The method of application of the thermoplastic composition is immaterial, inasmuch as the prime object is to partially or completely impregnate fabrics in a suitable manner.

By thermoplastic composition as used herein is to be understood as including suitable natural or synthetic resins and resinous bodies or compositions containing the same, which are susceptible to heat-fusion and cold-hardening a plurality of times. This would embrace cellulose derivatives as cellulose esters (nitrate, acetate, acetopropionate, acetobutyrate, andthe like) of varying degree of I esterification; the cellulose ethers (as methyl, ethyl, benzyl ethylplastic material II in a flowable state in a container l2, the idlers l3 and I3 squeezing excess material from the fabric l0 and allowing it to flow back into the container l-2-; The sheet I0-.

is then allowed to cool, dry, andhardemin which condition it is comparatively stiff, and it is then subjected to a punching process in order to produce a plurality of disks or washers. adapted: for the formation of my roll. f

One form for the production of such disks is shown in Figure 2. This punch contains the two vertically movable punches l4: and. I5, punch I4 being hollow and punchl5 having. a centrally positioned opening l5 for the passage of punch 14. A plurality of sheets of prepared. fabric [0, I0 is placed between the punches l4 and I5, punch I4 is moved downwardly, punch I5 is moved upwardly, and a disk or washer l6 having a central opening [6' is thus punched out of each sheet I0, the central cut-out portions of each sheet l0 being forced downwardly through the opening l5 of the punch l5 and. thus removed from the device. It is desirable that the outside diameter of the washers l6, It be slightly greater than the outside diameter of the roll to be produced. It is evident that other means may be employed for the. production of these disks.

A plurality of these disks orwashers iii are then placed upon a mandrel T as showninFigure 5, which may be of a material such as wood. iron, steel, wood pulp, or the like of desired length and diameter.

If no central member is desired in the finished product, the washers may be assembled on a metal or other mandrel, the latter being subsequently removed from the compacted and agglutinated washers. is desired, the washers may be assembledon such core or shaft, and left on the same after the compacting operation has been completed.

After the desired number of washers l6, l6 have been placed on the mandrel or hollow shaft [1, they are subjected to pressure, or heat and pressure, as in a molding press, for a suitable length of time depending upon the degree of thermoplasticity of the body used.

As heat or heat and pressure is applied, the thermoplastic composition tends to liquify and uniformly flows in and around the fibers and fiber interstices of the textile, thereby welding the fiber washers into a continuous unitaryappearing mass.

One method of performing. this step in the production of the rolls of my invention is shown in Figures 6, '7, and 8.

The mandrel I! with its plurality of washers l6, I6 is placed between the upper member l8, and the lower member 18 of a press adapted to be heated by any convenient means (not shown), the inner face of the two press members l8 and 19 being formed into alternating ridges 20 and.

If a central core, or shaft,

grooves 2| to form a helix thus producing a surface to the finished roll adapted to perform its function of putting lateral tension on the cloth treated thereby.

The two heated members l8 and I9 are then brought together as shown in Figure 8, thus molding the outer face of the thus produced roll into a helical surface as shown. The pressure, or heat and pressure, is then released, the roll allowed to solidify by cooling, and is finally removed from the press. The mandrel H may be removed either at this time or afterward.

It will be noted that the fabric threads are so arranged in the finished mass that their long axes. are perpendicular to the long axis of the ,completed unit. Thus it is possible to have a large proportion of the ends of the fabric threads protruding or projecting outwardly from the curved surface of the cylindrical blank, and upon this fact depends in a large measure the novelty and efficiency of the completed blank formany purposes- It is highly importantthat a multiplicity of these fiber endsshall be projecting, out.-v wardly, that they may frictionally engage. acloth or other surface passing. tangentially to the blank. as it revolves. V

I. am aware patents have issued for blanks, or rolls made by impregnating fabric with an initially plastic or thermoplastic substance. them for instance, a fabric tube open atboth endsv is filled and expanded while the ends are heldv tight, by a plastic substance which is all'owedto harden therein. The result is. a. fabric in roll form impregnated with plastic.

However in this, the finished roll has most of ,its

1 threads roughly parallel to the long. axisof the. -roll, and the remaining threads lie in a planeconcentric to the outer curved surface of. the roll. Also as soon as the fabric wears through byfric. tion in use, the roll is useless for frictional gripping purposes, as there is no-fabric.

The process of my invention is in directcontrast to methods like the above in that the practice of my invention results in the formation'of a roll wherein the fabric planes are perpendicular,

to the long axis of the roll, and the fiber endsproject outwardly from the surface of the rolltobe.

used, thus constituting a frictional-gripping member, wherein wear does not. materially diminish the evenness of friction.

The compacted blanks after formation may be placed in a mold and furrowed, grooved, spirally channelled or. otherwisealtered in externalconfiguration by means of pressure or pressure and step. That is, if there is desired (say) helicoidlygrooved form in the finished blank, a mold so shaped as to produce the grooves would be indicatedin the compacting operation. An example of such a roll is shown in Fig. 6.

In the molding step, the thermoplastic binder" usually flows closely to the mold surface, especially where sufficient pressure is exerted, so that the blank as it is removed from the mold has a smooth surface. In order to expose thefiber ends, it desirable to submit the blank in this condition to some kind of a roughem'ng or abrading treat"- ment, without which theprocess would. resultinthe formation of a member substantially valueless from a gripping standpoint; as the available In' one off and outwardlyprojecting fiber ends would not produce to induce the essential gripping'efiect.

, For thisstep, I have found that grinding wheels give satisfactory results. V

The speed of the wheel should be adjusted to suit the individual thermoplastic substance,--and this is usually critical. If the speed is toohigh, frictional heat generated by the revolving wheel against the blank, intumesces or softens the thermoplastic and makes gummy, thereforedifficult to handle, and leading to unsatisfactory results. 'Oh the other hand, if the speed of rotation of the wheel is too low, the thermoplastic binder, instead of being smoothly rubbed oif-that is, instead of being removed in minute particles, is removed in irregular and comparatively large aggregates, or in other words, is chipped off, thus leaving the surface too irregular for satisfactory use.

Thus it is seen that in order to accomplish the abrading or roughening operation satisfactorily, which is in such manner that the maximum of fiber ends may be exposed, too much frictional heat tends to the production of an unworkable surface consistency, and the recurrent re-fusing of the thermoplastic mass, whereas too little frictional heat permits of insufiicient softening of the bonding medium and leads to dislodgement of comparatively large particles from the surface.

It is apparent that in the latter case, dislodging of the aggregates also ruptures the threads, especially the fine counts of rayon threads thus causing the fiber ends to be removed, and this result diminishes or eliminates one of the chief advantages of the process, that of making a suitable blank with outwardly-projecting fiber ends. One method of producing this result is shown in Figure 9, in which the roughing roll, or cylinder, 20 supported on the shaft 2| is revolved with its surface in contact with the outer surface of the roll of my invention produced as previously described.

In this connection it should be noted that a substance which is not thermoplastic such as a thermosetting synthetic resin, as of the Bakelite type, or of rubber, will not become sufiiciently plastic in the grinding operation to prevent the fiber rupturing above described from occurring.

As one method of carrying out my invention, I may take four pounds avoirdupois of ounce duck which has or has not been woven with a proportion of asbestos fiber, and permeate or impregnate it with a solution of a thermoplastic synthetic resin, as of the vinol type, in a volatile solvent or solvent combination. The concentration of the solution is so adjusted that good fiowability with minimum use of solvent is attained at the working temperature. After suitable impregnation the major portion of the solvent is removed by evaporation, the impregnated fabric then weighing about six pounds eleven ounces avoirdupois. From this sheet a plurality of washer-like members is cut, one of which is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and then aligned over a mandrel and the assembly thus formed subjected to a pre-warming operation if desired, then to pressure, or heat and pressure in a suitable mold for a length of time which practice has indicated is optimum and most economical. In the above example, a temperature of about 60 centigrade and pressure of about 2000 pounds per square inch for about three minutes is sufficient.

The mold is then preferably cooled to about 35 C. or lower, and the blank removed.

Subsequently the extruded thermoplastic is abraded off to expose'theoutwardly-projecting fiber ends.

In an alternative method, woven fiber sheets, either of cellulose matter or celluloseand'inorgarlic matter as asbestos fibers, may be impreg nated as in the previous xampie; using'acellulose derivative as a cellulose ester or ether, specifically highly etherifid ethtyl or benzyl-celluloseor mixtures of 'the'same, with or without solvents, non-solvents and/or thermoplasticizing bodies, depending in a large measure upon the relative thermoplasticity' of the cellulose derivative employed. i 5 A plurality of impregnated fiber sheets is then stacked one upon the other to a thickness ome: what greater than the length desired iii-the finished blank, and from this stack of sheets the desired number of washers may be cut therefrom in a single operation.

The washers may then be aligned and fused together as previously set forth. Or, the stack of sheets may be molded together before the cutting operation, and a unitary blank cut from the this slab. In either event, the fiber is cut in a direction perpendicular to the long axis of the threads.

The plurality of woven or unwoven cellular or cellulosic or inorganic threads or fibers may be dyed, mercerized or otherwise treated before impregnation, and the impregnating medium may be colored as by addition of dyestuif of pigment.

It is to be understood that the foregoing examples and drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and are not to be considered as limitations of the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Process for making a blank comprising impregnating fabric sheets with a thermoplastic body, cutting washer-like members therefrom, aligning the washers along a common axis compacting the washers into a unitary member and roughening the outer surface until ends of fibers protrude therefrom.

2. Process for making a roller comprising coating fabric with a thermoplastic resin cutting Washer-like members therefrom aligning the washers on a mandrel molding the same into a' unit of desired form, then abrading the outer curved surface so there are immovably affixed outwardly-projecting fiber ends.

3. Process for making a roll comprising saturating textile with a synthetic resin of the vinol type, cutting washer-like members therefrom aligning the members on a core molding the washers with heat and pressure into a unitary member of shape desired, then roughening the outer surface so there are immovably afiixed outwardly-projecting fiber ends.

4. Process for making a temple roll comprising coating on one side cotton with a thermoplastic body cutting washer-like members therefrom aligning the washers along a common axis compacting the same into a unit of desired form then abrading the outer surface until ends of fibers protrude threefrom.

5. Process for making a blank comprising coating on both sides duck with a thermoplastic resin cutting washer-like members therefrom aligning the members on a mandrel molding the same into a. unitary member of shape desired then roughening the outer curved surface until ends of fibers project therefrom.

6. Process for making a roller comprising impregnating duck with a synthetic resin of the vinol type cutting washer-like members therefrom aligning the washer members" one a core molding said washers by heat and pressure-into a unitary-appearing member of surface formed intov alternating; ridges and grooves arranged in form of a helix then abrading the ridges until there; appears immovablyafiixed, outwardly-projecting frictionally-gripping fiber ends.

7.. Process; for making a roll comprising coating,non-cellulosic. fiber aggregates with a thermoplastic body cutting washer-like members therefrom; aligning the washers along a common axis compacting the same into a unitary member of shape desired then roughening the outer surface until ends of fibersprotrude outwardly therefrom.

8. Process for making a temple roll comprising saturating non-cellulosic fibers in fabric form with a. thermoplastic resin cutting washer-like membersetherefro'm compacting thesame into a unitary-appearing body of. desired form then abrading the outer surface until there appears immovably aflixed, outwardly projecting, fibergripping ends.

9. Processvfor making a temple roll comprising compacting and fusing together on to a hollow core a plurality of washer-like members of fabric previously impregnated with suitable thermoplastic synthetic resin and molding the plastic composite so asto form helical ridges and grooves, afterwards abradingthe ridges to the outwardly-projecting filament ends of the fabric. fabric.

CHARLES, THOMAS DICKEY. 

